New Nissan SUV range previewed

Nissan has flagged the new look of its next generation of city-friendly SUV wagons such as the X-Trail and Dualis.

The seven-seat Hi-Cross concept unveiled at the 2012 Geneva motor show gives a "strong indication" of the next wave of Nissan crossover wagons.

A sleeker, more rounded design will replace the utilitarian look of the current X-Trail with a more futuristic look dominated by an angular snout flanked by a pair of sleek headlights.

Nissan Australia CEO Dan Thompson says the concept takes cues from the existing Dualis (sold overseas as the Qashqai) and Murano, while hinting at how the next iterations of those cars could look.

"It's not meant to represent [next generation] X-Trail or Dualis," says Thompson. "Hi-Cross is a good future indication of our crossover design direction. It's a blend of a lot of different future crossover product ... and more of a design statement than anything else. It's a very close design representation of the next wave of crossover SUVs for Nissan."

X-Trail

Nissan's global executive vice president, Andy Palmer, says the Hi-Cross is more than just a design statement.

Under the bonnet is a hybrid drivetrain that teams an electric motor with a 2.0-litre direct injection four-cylinder said to significantly reduce fuel use.

There's also a newly designed CVT transmission said to reduce fuel use by 10 per cent.

"The Hi in Hi-Cross doesn't just mean high riding, it means high technology that's eco-friendly," says Palmer. "It means high value and it means high excitement."